Take a tropical break from winter with a visit to the Orchid Room in Biltmore's Conservatory. More than 70 colorful orchids are in peak bloom, now through March. The Orchid Room features bromeliads and orchids, some of which are epiphytes, which gain moisture and nutrients through aerial roots.

The Conservatory, open 365 days a year and filled with thousands of tropical plants, provides a warm and welcoming refuge on cold winter days. During George Washington Vanderbilt's time, conservatories were the ultimate statement of luxury, exhibiting hundreds of fragrant flowers, exotic palms and delicate orchids in abundance. Nestled in the gardens of his estate, Vanderbilt's conservatory was no exception. This striking glass structure, designed by Biltmore House architect Richard Morris Hunt,stands as a symbol of the turn of the century's passion for horticulture, much as the home is reminiscent of the opulent end of the 19th century.

A visit to the Conservatory is included in your estate admission.

George Vanderbilt's historic estate was designed to be a place of rejuvenation and calm, far away from the busy streets of larger cities. That same feeling comes through today, especially this season.